Bengal tops in crimes against women but the state is more successful in keeping its prisoners behind bars.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 1,191 accused had escaped from police custody in 2012. According to the report, most of the accused had escaped from the police
lock-up. A few also managed to flee from hospitals and court lock-up.

Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of escape cases. This state registered 107 escape cases and 132 accused managed to flee from police custody. Maharashtra comes second in the list with 104 cases. Around 135 persons managed to hoodwink the police. Third position was taken by Madhya Pradesh, which recorded 83, such cases after 90 accused escaped.

West Bengal is in the 15th position with 30 accused persons escaping in 2012. According to the NCRB report, 132 prisoners managed to escape in Punjab. While the number is 88 in Rajasthan, 81 could escape in Andhra Pradesh, 65 in Tamil Nadu and 93 in Bihar. Assam leads in the number of custodial deaths in the country. In 2012, there were 11 such casualties in Assam. In Andhra Pradesh, five deaths have been reported. West Bengal had no case of custodial deaths in 2012. Four undertrials escaped from a jail in Siliguri in December 2010.

Seven prison guards were found guilty of dereliction of duty, though an official report pointed out shortage of staff in the jail.